The New Hanoian

I really think it would be hard to top the Especen (Tho Xuong) in the budget category. I thoroughly enjoyed my large room with balcony and this hotel in general. I will be back!

The Especen has new low rates as of May 23rd. They recently sent me this email:

GREAT OFFER

You're kindly informed that we have just adjusted room charge to great price as:

• Standard single room with window $10/night
• Standard double room with window $12/night
• Twin room with window $14/night
• Family room with windows & balcony $17/night
• Cheap single room with window $5/night (no Air-Con, bath room outside)

The new price will count from tonight Saturday 23rd May, 2009. Cheer!

We also supply airport pick-up service just $15. If you like it, please give me the detail of your flight or you can found some cheaper way at www.especen.vn/faq.htm. Please read very carefully the FAQ to avoid bad taxi driver.

Regard,
Especen hotel's manager
Tran Hoai Thanh


ESPECEN HOTEL - Your home in Hanoi
VoIP CallShop - Call around the World at lowest rates in town
28 Tho Xuong & 41 Ngo Huyen street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (4) 3824 4401 - 3938 0200 Fax: +84 (4) 3825 9460
http://www.especen.vn - especen@gmail.com

Good place, very clean and nice bed's/decor etc. I stayed in a big room with one other person and we had a balcony overlooking the street. No street noise either.

One minor complaint though which wasn't as bad as other hotel issues - I had stayed 2 nights, then went down to Hue, and warned them day's in advance I would be coming to stay from 7am Monday morning to 6pm at night just to have a shower/hold my bags until airport time. I arrived at 7am (after they assured me that it will be open) to a closed door (we could see the clerk sleeping inside but couldn't wake him) and we had to wait for 30 minutes outside. Then we checked in, but was told our booking was for the other hotel. We went next door to the other one to a line of 4 groups of people waiting for the hotel clerk to wake up (sleeping right in front of us). I asked next door to call the hotel to wake him up!

Fortunately, everything was ok with our room, and no problems, except it was a small room. When they say small, they mean small. Very very small. I would go mad for a long term stay here.

Overall, excellent on the cleanliness, and good on the service.

I stayed here for about 4 nights when I first got to Hanoi. Quiet location, easy walking to Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem if you are so inclined. Can't believe they get away with charging $120 a month for a motorbike, but you can always find suckers I guess. Staff was friendly, in fact about 2 weeks after I stayed here I went back to pick up a friend and they remembered my name and my room number, and I'm not one to chat up the hotel staff. Although I did wake them up twice in the middle of the night trying to get back in after I'd gone out, so I guess I made an impression.

Just about every review of a Vietnamese hotel I've read here or on other sites has a story about someone arriving late and the staff having given the room away. I've never had this problem, anywhere in the world, while travelling. Maybe try calling and letting them know you'll be late? These rooms aren't guaranteed with a credit card or anything, so I can't really blame them for selling available space if it looks like the reservation isn't showing up. And what's with the call saying you need to leave early because they sold the room to someone else? If you're in the room you've got priority, don't let them push you over. Sometimes it's ok to tell people no.

Stayed at their second? property on Ngo Huyen for a couple weeks and found it decent value for the money. The location is good, the staff friendly and helpful, and my room on the fifth floor was relatively quiet. I would stay there again.

Ha...I guess I deserved that one.

After writing the review above, I was away from the hotel for a few weeks but booked the room to return to.

I arrived late and tired after a day's traveling.

They hadn't bothered keeping my room. In fact, a relative was staying in it.

No apologies, just embarrassed giggles. I had booked it to stay three more nights - I left and didn't return. It was all the more annoying after I had stayed with them for over a month previously.

Otherwise what I said before remains true, or most of it, rooms are big and spotlessly clean. Someone should put the cleaner in charge of customers service though - she is clearly the most efficient part of the organisation.